SOLOMON ISLANDS: The Solomon Islands in the South Pacific declared a 21-day amnesty yesterday for the return of hundreds of illegal weapons held by militias as an Australian-led peacekeeping force exerted its influence in the lawless nation.
Prime Minister Mr Allan Kemakeza said the amnesty was "the last opportunity" to surrender an estimated 1,300 illegal guns.
Mr Kemakeza, who pleaded earlier this month for international help to end five years of fighting between rival ethnic militias, said those who failed to hand in their weapons faced jail terms of up to 10 years once the amnesty lapsed.
"Every single gun in this country must be surrendered," said Mr Ben McDevitt, chief of the police element of the peacekeeping force.
The amnesty is the third attempt by the Solomons to round up illegal weapons since a fragile peace treaty was signed by warring militias in Townsville in northern Australia in 2000.
Weapons have been trickling in to the 2,225-strong intervention force since last weekend.
Hundreds of people have been killed in fighting between ethnic militia from Malaita and Guadalcanal islands over land disputes, leaving the Solomons teetering on the brink of bankruptcy after years of brazen extortion by armed gangs.
The multinational intervention is the largest military deployment in the South Pacific since the second World War.
The head of the intervention force won a disarmament commitment on Wednesday from Jimmy Rasta, co-founder of the Malaita Eagles Force militia which has virtually held the capital, Honiara, to ransom since a police-backed coup in 2000.
He promised that his militia would hand in their weapons at a traditional surrender of arms to tribal priests on August 15th.
Australian Foreign Minister Mr Alexander Downer, who arrived in Honiara yesterday, welcomed the early surrender of weapons but said much work remained.- (Reuters)